There is a growing recognition that workplace experiences are essential to learning for all students. At its best, work-based learning in K-12 districts integrates academic learning with the workplace to provide paths to educational and career advancement for students. Realizing this vision demands a deep commitment on the part of faculty, school leadership, and industry partners to integrate the world of work and the learning process.
This guide offers an assessment process and tools to assess and support the development of a work-based learning system—drawing on the analysis of three California school districts. The Work-Based Learning System Development Guide is organized in two parts: Part I documents the project, offering lessons overcoming barriers to implementing work-based learning them. Part II of the guide walks the user through the process of assessing their own work-based learning system and building upon it, using a set of tools developed by JFF.
Related Tools:
Work-Based Learning System Assessment Tool: designed to measure the capacity of school districts and their business and intermediary partners to advance the delivery of work-based learning
Work-Based Learning Experiences Inventory: assists with conducting an inventory of student work-based learning experiences and reports data on the implementation of work-based learning
Work-Based Learning Goals Tool: walks you through setting system-level and student-level goals for work-based learning in your district
Workplace Portfolio: designed to help students squeeze more learning out of their part-time job through a series of workplace tasks, reflections, and challenges
Work-Based Learning Ideas Bank: an online resource developed that offers districts new concepts for their work-based learning experiences and allows you
to share your ideas as well
